House of Commons Hansard #177 of the 36th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was nafta.
Anne McLellan LiberalMinister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada
Mr. Speaker, the hon. member speaks of timeliness.
He is a member of the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights. In April 1998 I wrote to the standing committee asking it to review judicial sentencing. I asked it for its advice and its input as to how the law, if at all, should be reformed. Have I heard a word from it? Not one word. I am waiting.
Dick Proctor NDP Palliser, SK
Mr. Speaker, of 13 military officers who took anthrax while stationed in Kuwait last year, 8 of them still have visible lumps on their arms from the injections, some lumps as big as loonies.
All 13 officers and their families have lumps in their throats as well. All are distraught and concerned about the health and safety because of the potential side effects that they are only now beginning to hear about. These men and women want straight answers which might help them deal with fear of the unknown they are experiencing.
When the minister and DND enlighten these Canadians with the best up to date information available?
Art Eggleton LiberalMinister of National Defence
Mr. Speaker, I am sorry to hear that some people are still experiencing difficulties in this regard. I am sure that our people in the medical profession of the Canadian forces would want to do everything they can to assist them.
The vast majority of people who took the anthrax serum had no problems whatsoever. The United States forces, which had the same serum, had a very small percentage of people who had any reaction at all.
Our medical people believed that was is a safe serum to administer. Given the threats that existed in the gulf at the time it was the appropriate thing to do as a safeguard.
Dick Proctor NDP Palliser, SK
Mr. Speaker, Master Corporal Dennis Biden is a decorated 19 year veteran of the forces who says he will never again trust his superiors since learning that they knowingly injected him with the stale-dated anthrax vaccine.
This father of two wants to know: Was DND aware that the vaccine was outdated? Was the Canadian government aware in advance of the re-labelling? Was it aware that some vials contained moulds? Was any pre-testing of the vaccine done? Will the minister ensure that those forced to take this chemical cocktail will be eligible for a medical pension as the long term effects are truly unknown?
Art Eggleton LiberalMinister of National Defence
Mr. Speaker, all of those questions have been answered and I think the member well knows the answers.
Nobody was given anything that was stale-dated or mouldy or anything else that would be harmful to them. It was all tested and re-tested and medical professionals approved the ultimate giving of those inoculations.
Jim Jones Progressive Conservative Markham, ON
Mr. Speaker, Yvon Duhaime misled federal officials about his criminal record, has a track record of not paying his taxes or his creditors and sank the first instalment of his federal handout straight into his personal bank account.
In short, he has all the wrong credentials for getting government money, except that he bought a hotel from the Prime Minister and his friends. We already have reports that contractors for the hotel expansion have not been paid.
Can the Minister of Industry assure this House that Duhaime is using the $615,000 loan for the hotel expansion and not for any outstanding personal debts?
Business Development BankOral Question Period
The Speaker
I think the first part of the question would be in order, but I do not know how the minister would know anything about the second part.
John Manley LiberalMinister of Industry
I agree, Mr. Speaker.
What we know is that the loan was granted in the ordinary course. It was a commercial loan. It was part of a broader financing package that included financing given by private sector lenders. It was not only the Business Development Bank of Canada which advanced money. It was secured by a mortgage, a hypothèque, on the property. It was at commercial rates.
If the member has a problem with the Business Development Bank lending on hotel properties, then he ought to raise it at committee.
Jim Jones Progressive Conservative Markham, ON
Mr. Speaker, no ordinary Canadian would loan Yvon Duhaime $100, let alone over $800,000 in loans and grants courtesy of the taxpayer. Then again, no ordinary Canadian can spend millions of other people's money on lavish travel. No ordinary Canadian can find high paying political jobs for their relatives.
I ask the Cadillac Prime Minister, who happily cut the ribbon—
Business Development BankOral Question Period
The Speaker
The hon. member for Hastings—Frontenac—Lennox and Addington.
Larry McCormick Liberal Hastings—Frontenac—Lennox And Addington, ON
Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food announced in December that the Government of Canada would provide $900 million of assistance to help producers get through the current farm crisis.
Where are the cheques?
Joe McGuire LiberalParliamentary Secretary to Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food
Mr. Speaker, the member is absolutely right. Last December we did announce a $900 million whole farm national disaster assistance program.
In the interim the provinces have been giving money to farmers in need because our payout will be based on income tax returns.
At the February 23 and 24 national safety conference in Victoria the minister will be announcing the final details. Applications will become available in March and the final payout will be made in June, whether or not the provinces are on side.
Rahim Jaffer Reform Edmonton Strathcona, AB
Mr. Speaker, according to a recent human resources development audit it was reported that there is a one in ten chance that essential seniors' benefits could be compromised by the millennium bug problem.
Recently the industry minister launched a PR campaign about the Y2K, telling Canadians not to worry about buying powdered milk.
When was the Minister of Industry going to tell us about the devastating potential effects on essential services to seniors which could possibly leave them high and dry?
Marcel Massé LiberalPresident of the Treasury Board and Minister responsible for Infrastructure
Mr. Speaker, these government-wide mission critical systems, as they are called, are being tested regularly. In particular, those mentioned by my hon. colleague have already been tested and we have been told they will work perfectly well, so there should be no fearmongering, especially among senior citizens because their federal pension cheques will be paid.
Michel Guimond Bloc Beauport—Montmorency—Orléans, QC
Mr. Speaker, the Jean-Lesage airport is an important infrastructure for Quebec City's economic development.
However, the manager of the airport transfer, Daniel Paiement, recently stated that the Government of Canada had neither a specific plan for the airport nor any requirements as to its future cost effectiveness.
Does the Minister of Transport interpret the situation in the same way as his official, with no specific objective regarding cost effectiveness?
David Collenette LiberalMinister of Transport
Mr. Speaker, there is a policy on national airports, and this policy works well. We are currently discussing the future of this airport with the people of Quebec City, and I think it will have a great future.
John Solomon NDP Regina—Lumsden—Lake Centre, SK
Mr. Speaker, the RCMP is short staffed 400 constables. In seven years more than half of the 16,000 member force will be eligible for retirement but no new cadets are being trained at the RCMP training depot in Regina.
Last week the solicitor general said he was giving the RCMP “the tools it needs to fight crime”. What action will the solicitor general take to make sure we have enough RCMP to use these tools to fight crime and can he assure us there will be sufficient funds in the budget to address this dangerous development in police protection?
Lawrence MacAulay LiberalSolicitor General of Canada
Mr. Speaker, I do not believe I will indicate what is in the budget, but I will indicate that I and the RCMP have been dealing with Treasury Board with respect to any shortcomings in funding for the RCMP. We will train the RCMP as we always have in this country.
Mark Muise Progressive Conservative West Nova, NS
Mr. Speaker, for months Canadians have been reading about possible U.S. retaliation over Canada's introduction of Bill C-55. The U.S. has threatened to impose sanctions against a number of our industries, including lumber and steel. The international trade minister's occasional wavering in light of these threats has effectively caused fear amongst our Canadian industries.
Can the Minister of Canadian Heritage assure Canadians that Bill C-55 is an ironclad piece of legislation that could survive any possible U.S. challenge to the WTO or the NAFTA? As well, could she confirm that it conforms with Canada's charter of rights?
Sheila Copps LiberalMinister of Canadian Heritage
Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the hon. member and his party, and in fact most of the parties in this House for their steadfast and unwaivering support for Bill C-55.
I can say that it is the position of the government that this bill respects every one of our national and international obligations.
Sophia Leung Liberal Vancouver Kingsway, BC
Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of National Revenue. No one likes to pay taxes. We assume that the system is fair to every Canadian taxpayer. What has the minister done to make the tax system fair for every Canadian?
Herb Dhaliwal LiberalMinister of National Revenue
Mr. Speaker, as we all understand, fairness is very important. That is why last March I initiated a fairness review to ensure there is fairness for all Canadians.
This morning I launched a seven point action plan to ensure to all Canadians that there is fairness in our tax system and that we will provide better service and fairness.
Rahim Jaffer Reform Edmonton Strathcona, AB
Mr. Speaker, this government's own audit reports that there is a one in ten chance that essential services could be compromised by the Y2K problem and we just heard the minister say that the government is working on the problem.
What assurances can the minister give Canadian seniors that it will not affect the essential services which are provided to them?
Marcel Massé LiberalPresident of the Treasury Board and Minister responsible for Infrastructure
Mr. Speaker, once again, the systems that apply to senior citizens, in particular those that affect their pension cheques, are of course critical to the government and we have been dealing with them. The department of human resources has spent millions of dollars reviewing its systems. They now indicate that these systems are ready and will work on January 1, 2000.
Maud Debien Bloc Laval East, QC
Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister for International Trade.
In December, the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade released a report recommending, and I quote: “That the Parliament of Canada conduct a separate and in-depth study on the domestic use, and foreign export of, Canada's civilian nuclear technology”.
Why is the Minister for International Trade delaying a moratorium on the export of Candu reactors until all the dangers involved in the use of this reactor are known?